Peach Blossom.

As soon as this question came up, Tao Ye couldn't laugh anymore.

She shifted her gaze from Wang Ao to her pipa and gently plucked the strings twice, as if talking to herself: "Why do I have to wait for someone? Can't a girl stay single for life?"

"But you've already been married once. If you never marry again, in my opinion, that would mean you're staying chaste for my second brother." Wang Ao's tone became a little disappointed.

Tao Ye looked at Wang Ao again, her eyes curved with smile, her voice as gentle as water: "I have always wanted to have a brother like you, let's become sworn brothers, shall we?"

Wang Ao was stunned by the proposal.

However, Tao Ye was very formal. She borrowed incense and an incense burner, and specially invited Caiwei to be a witness. She burned incense under the window and prayed to heaven and earth, and performed the eight bows with Wang Ao.

Wang Ao was actually very touched, and unknowingly recognized Tao Ye as his brother.

After the ceremony, it was already late. Guests came in one after another, urging Tao Ye to go on stage, but Tao Ye still personally escorted Wang Ao to the back door before saying goodbye to him.

Wang Ao was very reluctant, but he didn't know what to do. He just promised foolishly: "Sister, our separation is only temporary. If you need me, I can come back at any time. I can go through fire and water for you..."

"Like a real brother treats his real sister?" Tao Ye hung her head, pretending to be laughing, and used her fingers to rub Wang Ao's brows which were frowned due to his seriousness.

Wang Ao didn't seem to want to agree with this sentence, but he still nodded obediently.

"Take care, and we'll see you later." Tao Ye smiled and took the initiative to hug Wang Ao.

Wang Ao felt the warmth from Tao Ye, but his nose felt sour and his heart felt cold. He also said softly, "See you later."

The next morning, Wang Ao obeyed the orders of his two brothers and quietly left home and went out of the city with his nephew Wang Geng and guard Qiongju.

Afterwards, Wang Jing immediately went to the palace and reported to the two Empress Dowagers that his future son-in-law, Si Xiu, had been kidnapped by bandits in the mountains outside Jiankang.

As Wang Jing had expected, the two Empress Dowagers quickly decided to send Grand Marshal Chen Xi to lead troops to suppress the bandits and rescue Si Xiu.

When Chen Xi was recruiting his troops and preparing to leave the city, the news of Si Xiu's kidnapping had already spread widely. People inside and outside the city knew about it, and Si Yuan and others who were hiding in the countryside outside Jiankang had also heard about it.

When Madam Han learned about this, she was very worried and said to Si Yuan, "Aren't those bandits the Grand Marshal's men? If we ask the Grand Marshal to suppress the bandits, the prince's life will be in danger. We need to secretly send someone to rescue him."

Shang Yun, the general of the first army of Yongchang, heard this and immediately asked for orders: "I am willing to go. I don't need many people. Ten will be enough."

Si Yuanzheng closed his eyes to rest, and gently rejected the proposal of Madam Han and Shang Yun: "No, if you go, you will fall into the trap."

Madam Han advised again: "Even so, the prince is really in danger. If my sister knew..."

Si Yuan opened his eyes and glanced at Madam Han and Shang Yun: "I said no, and no one is allowed to show their faces. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed."

Mrs. Han didn't dare to say anything else.

So, no one went to save Si Xiu.

Chen Xi pretended to confront the bandits outside their lair for two days, waiting to see if any soldiers from Yongchang would come to rescue him, but in the end, no one came.

Because the so-called "bandits" were actually Chen Xi's subordinates, the soldiers became impatient with the meaningless waste of time, so Chen Xi had to change his mind.

At night, all the kidnapped people from Yongchang were squatting in one place and sleeping soundly, when two figures slowly approached in the darkness.

Chen Ji woke up alertly. His hands were still tied together with others. He saw the two figures getting closer and closer and swung their swords to cut the ropes on his hands.

Several people nearby were awakened by the noise and looked at the two unfamiliar faces in front of them in surprise.

Someone asked, "What are you going to do?"

The two men pointed at Chen Ji and shouted, "You, stand up and follow us!"

The few people who woke up looked at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji stood up slowly. He guessed that it might be Chen Xi who came.

He was brought to the middle of the mountain, where he saw a thatched hut under the dim moonlight. Because there was a lamp on in the hut, it was the brightest spot in the mountain.

The two leading soldiers were stationed not far from the hut on both sides. Chen Ji went into the house alone and saw Chen Xi sitting under the lamp.

When Chen Xi saw Chen Ji, he stood up immediately and greeted him with a big smile: "Brother, I haven't seen you for many years. How are you?"

Chen Ji couldn't help but smile. After so many years, his brother was still the same smiling tiger.

He didn't address me, but asked directly, "You knew I was still alive, right?"

"That's not the case." Chen Xi was very polite, still maintaining his everlasting smile: "No matter how much I guess, I really can't tell, how could the Mantangjiao back then be a fake?"

"So, when Tao Ye's identity was revealed, you knew that I faked my death?"

Chen Xi nodded and smiled, "Of course. The real Mantangjiao only has Wang Jing in her heart. Even if she has to give herself to you, she will never help you escape. And Taoye? Since she helped you once, she can help you a second time."

Chen Ji smiled helplessly, but his smile was a bit bitter, because when he heard the words "The real Mantang Jiao only has Wang Jing in her heart", he immediately thought that Tao Ye now only has Wang Jing in her heart. If time could go back, Tao Ye would probably not help him.

"Prince Yongchang...should be nearby, right?" Chen Xi asked tentatively.

Chen Ji raised his head and glanced at Chen Xi: "You came to me in the middle of the night just to find out his whereabouts?"

Chen Xi nodded again.

Chen Ji sneered, "You may have miscalculated. Prince Yongchang is very cunning. Only those who are with him may know where he is. Once separated, they will not be able to know. After all, it is a capital crime for a prince to enter the capital without an imperial edict. How dare he easily reveal his whereabouts? Moreover, let alone you have captured his son, even if you use his son as a target, it is impossible to lure him out."

"How dare you be loyal to such a cold-blooded person?" Chen Xi looked at Chen Ji with a smile that showed his intention to persuade him to make peace.

Chen Ji could understand Chen Xi's intention. If they were not trying to poach Chen Xi's talents, what else could they be meeting alone in the middle of the night?

Chen Ji felt a little proud in his heart. After sitting on the bench for many years, he finally got the attention of his brother.

However, he must disappoint the other party: "Don't rack your brains. I won't change sides at the last minute. Prince Yongchang will definitely win this game."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Because - that's what the people want." Chen Ji sat on the chair where Chen Xi had just sat, picked up the kettle on the table and poured water into the cup, then drank several cups in one breath.

Chen Xi stood aside and watched. He realized that the kidnapped person might have had a hard time eating and drinking during these days.

Chen Ji drank the water, pursed his lips, and continued: "Most of the nobles in Qi are fence-sitters, they will lean towards whichever side has the advantage, while the common people in Qi all hope that the Meng family will fall. Therefore, even if the Prince of Yongchang is not that good, he will be worshipped. Moreover, the Prince of Yongchang has been humble for many years, how can he not win?"

"But if the Meng family falls, there is no need to change the emperor, right?" Chen Xi approached Chen Ji and said with a smile, "Meng is not my biological grandmother. As long as we can find a way to make her give up power, I can completely regain my authority. After all, I have been the emperor for several years and I have the right to rule. As for Prince Yongchang, if he just becomes a king, he can certainly win the hearts of the people, but if he tries to usurp the throne, his reputation may not be good."

Chen Ji looked up at Chen Xi with a half-smile, "First, you helped the emperor to ascend to power, then you helped him stabilize the situation in the court, and now you want to seize the power of the Meng family for him. Why are you so willing to go through so much trouble to serve the current emperor?"

"As a subject, I must be loyal to the emperor. How can I easily have second thoughts?" Chen Xi smiled.

Chen Ji raised his thighs to his legs and said calmly, "If you keep saying these high-sounding words, there's no need for us to continue our conversation."

Chen Xi bowed his head, still smiling: "You know very well that the current emperor is just a half-grown child, and he will rely on you and me a lot in the future. As long as we brothers are united, how can the power fall into the hands of others?"

"Brothers of the same mind?" Chen Ji couldn't help laughing: "Like the Zhao brothers back then?"

Chen Xi smiled and said softly, "Although the Zhao brothers shared half of Qi, they fought for the throne after the establishment of Zhao, and the Wei brothers took advantage of the opportunity to destroy Zhao and establish Wei. This is not a good example."

Chen Ji sneered: "You and I are not as good as the Zhao brothers. They fought among themselves, but at least they did it after the matter was accomplished. Unlike you and me, we have never really been brothers."

"Even if you blame me in your heart and don't want to work with me, you should at least consider yourself, right? If you just go against me, won't that give outsiders an opportunity to take advantage of you? Prince Yongchang is an old hand. If he wants to hold on to his throne, I'm afraid the first thing he will do is to get rid of military generals like you who are so powerful that they threaten the king."

Chen Ji did not say anything. He had stayed in Yongchang for so long that he certainly knew the King of Yongchang better than Chen Xi. He and the King of Yongchang were just using each other. Once they succeeded, I'm afraid both of them would want to kick the other out.

Chen Xi looked at Chen Ji and tried to persuade him again: "Second brother, please think twice..."

"Don't analyze these to me, it's useless." Chen Ji's tone suddenly became stiff and his face turned gloomy.

He stood up, glanced at Chen Xi, walked to the small window of the thatched hut, and looked down at the faint light on the ground outside the window.

After a long while, he slowly spoke again: "I am a man with nothing. When I left Jiankang, I had already burned my boats."

"Holding great power, enjoying honor, and even changing Qi's surname to Chen, that would be great. But... those are not what I want most. Even if I don't have a good ending in the end, I must do one thing, that is -" Chen Ji turned around, pointed his finger at Chen Xi, and said the last three words: "I'll kill you!"

These words were very sharp, but Chen Xi just sighed lightly.

"The secret order given to me by the Empress Dowager is to order the "bandits" to kill one Yongchang citizen every day, even if they kill the prince by mistake, until the Prince of Yongchang shows up in the capital. But I know that there is a person here who is my brother, how can I kill him all?" Chen Xi looked at Chen Ji with a trace of sadness in his eyes: "We are of the same roots, why are you so eager to hurt each other?"

Chen Ji didn't know whether to laugh or cry after hearing this: "A man who dares to kill his father would still care about his brother? Are you kidding me?"

Chen Xi explained softly: "Father... was killed by Xianzong's cronies."

Chen Ji's eyes gradually became sharper: "If you don't act as an insider, how can they have a chance?"

Chen Xi did not deny it.

"You didn't take action not because you couldn't bear it. It's because you didn't want to be hated by Prince Yongchang, but let the old woman Meng benefit. That would be a waste of money for you." Chen Ji raised his eyebrows and said, "I have seen through your trap a long time ago. If I wasn't well prepared, how could I lead so many people to jump in?"

Chen Xi rolled his eyes, roughly guessing Chen Ji's "preparation", and smiled: "Father has been dead for too long. Even if you have the opportunity to tell everyone now that he did not die in battle, but was murdered, how many people would really care?"

Chen Ji smiled contemptuously and replied calmly: "This one incident alone is certainly not enough."

He approached Chen Xi and said as if jokingly: "You just gave a lot of reasons for being loyal to the emperor, but none of them are true. The reason you are so willing and devoted to the emperor is because... the emperor is not the blood of the late emperor Xiaozong, but the illegitimate offspring of you and Empress Dowager Zhou!"